Water is a great solvent. It’s neutral and doesn’t provide any strong positive or negative effects. It just helps components to mix better and to transport active components.
Lactic Acid is the most popular and the least aggressive acid among all the AHAs. Unlike Salicylic and Glycolic acids which can irritate your skin, Lactic Acid will hardly cause any problems. The combination of its soft action and effectiveness makes it a real brilliant. It exfoliates dead cells, makes the skin tone even, clears pores, kills bacteria, moisturizes the skin and helps to keep water, helps the cells to produce Hyaluronic Acid. It also works as a strong antioxidant and anti-aging component.
It's a great acid for getting familiar with the world of AHAs. If you want to start using "fruit acids" but struggling for some reason, try to use Lactic Acid first. If your skin accepts it well, you can try stronger acids.
Butylene Glycol is a very popular synthetic alcohol. It helps the product to absorb deeper and faster. It is also a solvent for other ingredients. As for the skin benefits, it helps to attract water and helps to make the skin softer.
Sodium Lactate is very effective for recovering the natural lipid layer of the skin. It’s safe and doesn’t provoke negative reactions. It provides a strong moisturizing effect. It’s a nice soothing ingredient.
Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 and it’s a superman in cosmetics. This ingredient is researched very well. It has a lot of positive reviews from scientists and experts. It's very important for healthy skin. The lack of this vitamin can cause dryness, itching, and sun sensitivity. The component removes small wrinkles and fine lines, heals wounds, and prevents the forming of cancer cells. It also makes the skin tone even by removing dark spots. It increases ceramide synthesis which increases the overall health of your skin. It fights acne and lowers pores.
Researches say that 4-5% of Niacinamide is the most effective concentration for skincare use.
10
Sodium Hyaluronate
Roles: Skin conditioning, Humectant
Moisturizing
Softening
Anti-aging
Rejuvenation
Good for dry skin
Sodium Hyaluronate is an amazing component! It plays very important role in skin hydration process. It helps to maintain water balance and lower water loss. Scientists have found a direct dependence between the level of Sodium Hyaluronate in cells and skin aging. That's why this component is so much important. It must be in your routine if you want to have a healthy and fresh looking skin.
Some people think that Sodium Hyaluronate and Hyaluronic acid are different names of the same component, but it is not entirely correct. Hyaluronic acid is a different chemical but with similar effects. Actually, Sodium Hyaluronate is used in cosmetics much more often because it’s more stable and has much better resistance to oxidation.
Sodium PCA is a nice moisturizer and skin softener. It contains amino acids and Sodium Hyaluronate. It’s part of the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) that is responsible for keeping the outer layer of the skin hydrated. If you don’t have enough NMF you can face dryness even if you don’t have other skin problems.
Xanthan Gum is used as a thickener or rheology modifier and emulsion stabilizer. It doesn’t provide any notable skin-related effects and is used mostly for formulation purposes. It makes the product’s texture smooth and even. It’s a naturally-derived thickener. Notable fact: it can also be found in the food you eat every day, so it is 100% safe.
Caprylyl Glycol is a vey popular skincare ingredient. It makes the product spread better and feel better on your skin. It’s a preservative and it improves the effect of other preservatives. It’s also a humectant which helps to retain water. It’s good for keeping your skin in good shape. But manufacturers use it as a supporting component rather than the main one.
15
Potassium Sorbate
Roles: Fragrance, Preservative
Antifungal
Antiseptic
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative that increases the shelf life of the product. It’s a great alternative to parabens. That's why manufacturers like to use this component. It is safe in concentration of up to 10% but it is used in cosmetics in amounts of 1% or even lower.
Sodium Hydroxide is used mostly for formulation purposes. It helps to hold the pH level of a product. It also works as a chemical exfoliator that removes dead cells. Usually concentration of this component is low in skin care products and it’s used mostly for adjusting pH.
AHA
